Lessons from Meerkats … on Driving

My son has been talking about the day he would begin driving since he was 8 years old. For seven years, car magazines littered the backseat of my car. And whether it was a short drive or a long drive, his talk always turned to the makes and models of vehicles that were passing us by. (I am a bit of a slowpoke driver, so he got lots of opportunity to hone his skills.)

When it came time for my son to learn to drive, I handed the keys over to my husband, relieved this was one responsibility I wouldn’t have to deal with. But my husband had an intensive travel schedule for about a year, so I was more involved in teaching my 15-year-old how to drive a car than I wanted to be.

We started on our neighborhood streets going 15 miles an hour and over the course of a year, eventually graduated to highway driving going 65. I was a nervous wreck, of course, and I was constantly spouting out instructions. But I soon realized that learning how to drive was as much about letting him get a feel for the vehicle and the road as it was about learning the rules of the road.

What does this have to do with animals?

Scientists at the University of Cambridge in England discovered meerkats teaching their young in a similar manner. While they don’t have to teach their cubs how to drive a car, they do have to teach their cubs how to handle dangerous prey. So the momma meerkats catch scorpions, remove the stingers, and hand them over to her cubs. The cubs are handed all sorts of prey, both dead and alive, so that they can figure out how to handle them. Eventually momma meerkat expects her little one to grow up and remove the stinger himself.

My son got his license a month ago. Like the momma meerkat, I am acutely aware that the dangers are now up to him to avoid.

Lots of animals learn from their parents — mostly through imitation. But in the journal Science, researchers note that the meerkat cubs were not imitating mom. Mom was actually handing them something to do. While there have been anecdotal reports of animals teaching their young, scientists say this was the first time they had solid evidence that an animal parent was giving their youngster a teaching moment.

This doesn’t surprise me, but it may surprise and actually frighten others. Some people are afraid to learn how much we are like animals or vice-versa. I don’t now why. We should be more worried about teenagers learning how to drive a car.

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About the Author

Cathy M. Rosenthal has more than 25 years of experience in public relations, communications and humane education in the animal welfare field. She has worked for local humane societies and national humane groups, appearing on hundreds of television and radio news and public affairs programs to address animal issues. She currently is a consultant for local and national animal welfare organizations, writing grants, annual reports and other marketing materials. She is also the author of several children's books about animals.